Nurse death: Australian DJs to face no criminal charges over hoax call

Luke Jacobs Friday, February 1, 2013
12:11 PM

The two Australian radio DJs who made a hoax call to the Marylebone hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge for morning sickness will not face any criminal charges.

Mel Greig and Michael Christian pretended to be The Queen to solicit information from the King Edward VII Hospital about her condition on December 4. The call was broadcast on their radio station and attracted worldwide attention.

Days later, Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who initially took the call, was found hanged in nurses’ quarters at the hospital.

Police handed prosecutors a file of evidence after the incident. The CPS has now determined the call was intended as a “harmless prank”.

It is also not possible to extradite the pair from Australia with regards to the potential offence

Malcolm McHaffie, deputy head of special crime at the CPS, said: “Having carefully reviewed the evidence currently available, we have concluded that there is no evidence to support a charge of manslaughter.

“Although there is some evidence to warrant further investigation of offences under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003, no further investigation is required because any potential prosecution would not be in the public interest.”

“The consequences in this case were very sad. We send our sincere condolences to Jacintha Saldanha’s family.”